


The Fourth Master

by AshWinterGray



Series: The Tenrou Paradox [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Loss, Love, Mages Guild, Major Character Injury, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:15:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25371487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshWinterGray/pseuds/AshWinterGray
Summary: The day before the S Class trials are to begin, Lucy Heartfilia falls ill. Cana sees it as her chance to chicken out. Natsu and Happy aren't going to let their bestfriend suffer. The results of choosing to stay behind are catastrophic, and the guilt the four carry drives them to a new future.
Relationships: Cana Alberona & Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel & Happy & Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel & Lucy Heartfilia
Series: The Tenrou Paradox [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1837285
Comments: 14
Kudos: 116





	1. A Common Cold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Infinite_J](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Infinite_J/gifts).



> This book is dedicated to Infinite_J, whose story inspired this one. I wrote this in four days.

The day before the S Class trials were to begin, Lucy Heartfilia caught a cold. It was just a common cold. One of those ones that made you feel stuffy, unable to breathe, and confined a person to a bed. The sudden turn of events surprised everyone, but what surprised everyone more was what this caused.

“Master,” Cana turned to Makarov. “I’m afraid I can’t do the S Class trials this year. I need to stay with Lucy and help her recover.”

The guild watched in surprise, but Makarov nodded. “Of course, my child. Whatever you need.”

“I’m going to step out too!”

The entire guild hall went silent as every single pair of eyes whipped towards the pink haired salamander. Fierce, determine emerald eyes locked with the stunned Master Makarov.

“Are you serious?” Gray demanded. “You’ve been working up to this for years!”

“Yeah, but there is always next year,” Natsu shrugged. “Lucy’s my friend, and I remember how upset she was the last time she got sick. With her friends going away, someone has to help take care of her. Cana, Happy, and I can take care of it!”

“Aye sir!” Happy agreed. “Lushee will be in capable hands.”

Makarov let his expression soften. “Of course. I simply ask that each of you take care of yourselves and each other while we’re gone. And that the guild remains in one piece.”

“Course, gramps,” Natsu grinned, grabbing Cana’s hand. “Let’s go, Cana. We gotta figure out how to make soup without burning down Lucy’s apartment.”

“WHAT!?”

Makarov watched them go with a deadpanned expression. “Maybe I should have extended that request to Lucy’s apartment.”

“They’ll be fine, Master,” Erza offered a fond smile, Mira sharing that smile. “Natsu won’t let anything happen to Lucy.”

“Not to mention Happy and Cana will keep him straight,” Mira offered, though it offered little comfort to the distressed Master. “I suppose the rest of us should get ready for tomorrow. Kinana, could you come here? I needed to teach you how to lock the alcohol or Cana will get into while we’re gone.”

That was that. The rest of the day had been filled with the mages of Fairy Tail preparing for the S Class trials. Erza, Gray and Wendy made sure to stop by Lucy’s to bid her well and make sure that Lucy’s apartment wasn’t at risk. Much to their relief, Cana did know a decent soup recipe, though she seemed rather anxious. And the day ended with tensions held high for the upcoming trials.

“You won’t leave, right?”

Cana turned to Lucy, who was supposed to be asleep. Natsu and Happy had passed out on Lucy’s couch, and Cana had just been trying to make sure that her friend would be alright. Before she left.

“You shouldn’t-” Lucy let out a string of coughs. “I know you…wanted to tell Gildarts after you became an S Class mage, but maybe-” more coughing. “Maybe you could tell him when he gets back. So you don’t leave the guild.”

“Lucy…”

“I’d miss you if you went away,” Lucy smiled, clearly sick out of her mind. “So stay. Please. You don’t need a title to be strong. Just look at Natsu.”

Lucy drifted off with another string of coughs, unaware of the tears she brought to Cana’s eyes.

_“Look at Natsu?”_ Cana scoffed.

No, the real strong one was Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia had such an affect on people and she clearly had no idea just how strong she made people. It was amazing and blinding. But Cana had seen Lucy at her lowest, too. Lucy needed them just as much as they needed her.

“I’ll stay,” Cana promised the sleeping Lucy. “I promise I’ll stay.”

“Well that’s good. But what’s this about Gildarts?”

Cana took a page from Lucy and delivered a swift kick to Natsu’s face. Stupid dragon slayers and their stupid hearing. Despite knowing it was a long-shot, Cana secretly hoped Lucy got Natsu sick so the dragon slayer could suffer.

It was wishful thinking. Dragon slayers had a killer immune system unless they were on a vehicle.

\-------------------------

The day the group left was a rather normal day at the Guild, other than the fact that Natsu would stop fights whenever Lucy so much as cough. Despite many of their stronger members not being present, the group knew it would only be a matter of time before their friends came back. As for Lucy, she seemed to have suffered one of those 24-hour-flus that had been going around, and with her fever down, the Guild had been eager to see her up and about.

“So who do you think will be an S Class mage?” Lucy was asking Cana. “I mean, personally my bets are on Gray, but I’d love to see Levy win. Though, in all honesty, I think Freed is probably the strongest of our group.”

“Gotta agree with you there,” Cana nodded. “If we had gone up against Freed and Bixslow, there is no way we’d have won.”

Lucy did not want to picture that battle.

“Imagine if one of us had gone against Gildarts,” Happy added before nibbling on his fish.

Lucy could just imagine Natsu doing something stupid.

The second day went by rather normal as well. Lucy was definitely doing much better, the color back in her cheeks as she helped Kinana and Laki clean-up for the night. Cana was finishing her last barrel of beer, and Natsu was finishing off his late dinner. He was very pleased that he hadn’t burned down the Guild Hall.

Of course, it was that night, as they were closing up, that the news came. In the form of the Magic Council. Needless to say, the news was not good.

“You,” Natsu growled. “How dare you!”

Lucy stepped in front of Natsu, hands on his chest as Doranbolt flinched back.

“Get out of the way, Lucy.”

“No,” Lucy shook her head. “Natsu, please. Didn’t you hear. He tried to save them. He tried to save Wendy. I know he was wrong to fool us like that, but they tried to help them. Please. Don’t do something that could take you away from us too.”

Natsu’s fiery emerald gaze locked with Lucy’s tear-filled amber eyes. It made Natsu freeze, seeing the tears fall down her face. His hands went up to cup her face, brushing the tears away as his entire demeanor softened. And Lucy collapsed against his chest.

“Get. Out.”

The Magic Council didn’t need to be told twice, and Lahar led Doranbolt from the Guild Hall, letting the group grieve the loss of their family. The year was 784x, and all of Magnolia grieved the loss of Fairy Tail’s members and family.

“How do we keep going,” Kinana, so young and small, asked, tears in her eyes as she pressed into Lucy’s side. “How do we keep fighting?”

“Because our family would want us too,” Natsu slammed his fists together, his voice as firm as if he’d just started warming up for the battle of his life. “We’ll keep fighting because that’s how we’ll keep their memory with us. They died in the name of our Guild, and we will keep living. Because we’re Fairy Tail, and that’s what we do. We get stronger so we can protect each other. That is my promise to our friends. I’ll keep getting stronger in their names.”

“Yeah,” Lucy agreed, brushing tears from her eyes. “We won’t let their memory be in vein!”

“Then we need a game plan,” Cana declared to the hall. To their surprise, Cana was perched on the railing that led to the Master’s office and the S Class board. “First order of business. Any and all Guilds must register in Fiore by declaring their Guild Master. With Makarov gone, I thought it best to check his office to see if he left any last rights or something. I managed to find a will.”

The Guild fell into a hush as Cana revealed the letter.

“He left suggestions in order of who should be Guild Master,” Cana continued. “And as Gildarts and Erza were on Tenrou, and we have no idea where Laxus is, the next person to be placed in command would be Natsu.”

This time, the hush was different.

**“WHAT!?”**

“Is he crazy!?” Natsu cried out, looking around as if Master Makarov would just appear and laugh at him. “I can’t run a Guild! I’m to destructive for that! I’d probably get us all blown up!”

“Oh, enough!”

Once more, the Guild fell silent as Porlyusica entered through the doors.

“Grams?” Natsu questioned.

_“Don’t call me Grams!”_ the entire Guild shrunk back, but Porlyusica easily composed herself. “There is no mistake in Makarov’s choice. Though not what many of you would have expected, Makarov and I spent months creating that list, and it has been in the works ever since. We chose Natsu for many reasons, but I will give you the reason we deemed most important.”

Porlyusica approached Natsu, who shrunk back a little, and she placed a hand over his heart. And for the first time since any of them could remember, Porlyusica smiled.

“You, more than anyone, Natsu Dragneel, embody the heart of Fairy Tail. And that is why you are perfect as its fourth Guild Master.”

“I think you’re off your rocker, Grams.”

_“Don’t call me Grams!”_

\----------------------------

“Are you certain that’s wise?” Lahar questioned.

“It’s what Master wanted,” Lucy shrugged nochalantly. “But if it makes you feel any better, we managed to convince Porlyusica to become Fairy Tail’s personal healer again so that someone could help us keep Natsu in check.”

“It was necessary,” Happy agreed.

Lahar still gave them a skeptical look, but Natsu was the definition of poise as he stood before Lahar and the members of the magic council. They all knew how important this was for their Guild to continue and thrive, and the speech Lucy had delivered had certainly moved many of the members.

“And how do we know that Fairy Tail won’t cause more destruction?” one of the councilmen asked.

“I looked up the rates of destruction through the years,” Lucy brought up the chart on her presentation lacrima. “Technically speaking, even when under First Master Mavis, Fairy Tail had always been the cause of destruction, though our First Master was definitely better at controlling funds. Our destruction rates haven’t actually changed since Fairy Tail was first founded. And as we can’t promise that our destruction rates will drop, we do intend to take a page from our First Master and work on the money issue.”

“I’ve already promoted Lucy to assistant Guild Master if that’s any help,” Natsu motioned to Lucy. “She’s my impulse control.”

The Council whispered amongst themselves for a moment.

“Very well,” a Councilman huffed. “We’ll agree to allow Natsu Dragneel to become the fourth Master of Fairy Tail. But we will be keeping a close eye on your guild.”

“Like you did at Tenrou?”

The Council went stiff, and Natsu’s head whipped to Lucy in shock. The steel expression on her face, a clear message written across it. She wasn’t messing around.

“You have accused us back and forth of ulterior motives,” Lucy stated flatly, even Lahar looking horrified. “You followed us to the sacred island of our Master. Disrupted our trial for your own personal gain. You’ve chased us down for interfering in things like Human Trafficking just because we had to destroy stuff to stop those monsters from continuing. Were any of you aware that the reason I am part of Fairy Tail is because Natsu Dragneel saved me from becoming a victim of Human Trafficking back in Hargeon?”

The Council was quiet, some had the decency to look horrified and scandalized.

“We’ve saved lives, freed people, returned stolen property. And yes, I understand that we do it through unconventional means, but at least we get our jobs done beyond what our clients could have expected of us. I can give you a list of names right now and all you would need to do is ask those people about what we’ve done for them. So go ahead, keep an eye on us. We’re just going to keep doing what we’ve always done for the sake of friends, family, and for Fiore. Because we’re Fairy Tail! And we do our jobs to the best of our ability, even if it means breaking some rules!”

Natsu had never been so proud.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I bid you good-day. We’ll obviously be seeing you around.”

And with that, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy began their journey back to Magnolia, ready to face whatever life threw their way. And boy was life ready to throw things at them.


	2. Neighboring Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fairy Tail has the support of other guilds, but that drive to keep searching is fading and fading fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost forgot to post today

It was a couple days later before Lucy panicked and whipped out her keys in the middle of the Guild Hall. It wasn’t until her fellow guild mates saw which key she grabbed that their own fear spiked.

“OPEN! GATE OF THE LION! LEO!”

To everyone’s relief, Loke easily stood before them. His expression instantly became pained as he wrapped Lucy up in his arms, letting her cry as he explained what happened.

“There wasn’t anything we could do,” Loke finished. “Not against Acnologia. Levy…she asked me to give you this. Before Acnologia struck. Said you’d take care of him. And I know you will.”

Carefully concealed in the cloth Levy had used as a headband was Capricorn’s key. Levy had held onto it when Loke reunited with Gray and the others, and when fate took it’s turn for the worst, Levy had wrapped the key in her headband so that Loke could take it with him to the Spirit world to give to Lucy.

“I’d have come sooner,” Loke said. “But after the battle, I was too weak to open my gate on my own, and we were unsure what would happen if we tried to pass the key around. I’m going to go rest more, Lucy, if that’s okay?”

“Of course,” Lucy hugged her friend again. “Take all the time you need, alright? Thank you for staying with them for as long as you could. And I’m so glad you’re safe.”

Capricorn, when summoned, answered the questions that Loke had not had all the answers too, and his connection to Layla Heartfilia had given Lucy a renewed vigor. Though she downright burst into tears when he told her of his promise to Layla. With a thought after her tears had dried, Lucy collected her magic and summoned Virgo as well.

“I think we’re going to need both your help,” Lucy declared to her two spirits. “We need to keep Fairy Tail alive, but we’ll need to get stronger to do it. Could you both help us?”

“Of course, Princess,” Virgo bowed. “Then punishment?”

“Ah, no,” Lucy shook her head sheepishly.

“I shall do my best to help, Ms. Lucy,” Capricorn gave his own bow. “If it is alright with you, I shall return to the spirit world and begin research on potential ways to help your guild grow in strength.”

“Thank you. Both of you.”

With that, her two spirits returned to the spirit world. She knew it wouldn’t be long before either returned, and then Fairy Tail could begin its work to become stronger. Judging by the grins of her guild mates, they were looking forward to it.

“We should probably find somewhere else to practice,” Alzack Connell spoke up. “Master did ask us to keep the Guild in one piece, and as the Magic Council is still on our back, it’d be best not to blow up Magnolia for training.”

“That’s a good point,” Bisca agreed. “I’m all for getting stronger, but I’d like to keep our promise to Master.”

The Guild mates nodded.

“Why don’t we look around Magnolia for some place open,” Laki suggested. “Like a clearing or something? We’d have to work on our aim, but if we could find a place far enough away, we could set up a training ground.”

“Yeah!” Natsu cheered. “Grams knows these woods pretty well. I bet she’s got some idea of where we could go! And once we get out of debt, we could even build a smaller Guild Hall as a secret base or something!”

**“YEAH!”**

So it was settled. Jet and Droy went to talk to Porlyusica, taking Kinana with them as a buffer. Laki took to the bar while the rest of Fairy Tail took any and all jobs they could to raise money. Lucy, Natsu, and Cana worked with Lucy’s Spirits to create a routine to help their Guild grow stronger. Mediation, sparing, research, combat training. Anything the group could think of, they went through the steps to get stronger and stronger. Before they knew it, they were relatively out of debt and had enough money to spare in creating their “secret base.” And on one such day of construction, Fairy Tail received some visitors.

“Master Natsu!” Kinana called, catching the dragon slayer’s attention as she raced up the hill. “You’ve got visitors!”

Natsu set down the beams that were being set for their secret base-bar-rest area. The clearing they had chosen was up a hill and far enough away that any damage delivered would be minimal if at all. With Cana watching the main Guild Hall, Natsu had opted to aid with the construction. Lucy had taken a job that was particularly up her alley and offered enough money to pay both her rent for the next couple months and aid in their efforts to get Fairy Tail out of debt.

Natsu’s eyes widened as he took in their visitors. He hadn’t spoken to these people since the funeral service for their lost friends.

“Hey, Jura! Lyon! Good to see ya!” Natsu waved eagerly. “What brings you to town?”

Jura, Lyon, Sherry, Toby, and Yuka all smiled at Natsu. They were partially sad smiles, particularly Lyon’s, but they were smiles, nonetheless.

“Natsu, good to see you’re well,” Jura greeted. “We figured we’d come by to see how you were doing. Imagine our surprise to hear you were made Master.”

“Believe me, I still think it was a joke,” Natsu grinned cheekily. “But hey, we’re doing alright. Nearly out of debt, and getting stronger.”

“And may I ask what this is?” Sherry motioned to the construction.

“Well, I’m calling it a secret base,” Natsu grinned, looking every bit the excited puppy. “But it’s more like a bar and rec center. Given the Magic Council’s warning, we figured it was probably a good idea to keep destruction low. So we’re going to use this clearing for training, but since it’s so far away from the Guild, we’re making a mini-guild.”

“Smart,” Yuka admitted. “The freedom to grow stronger and yet a place to relax.”

“Well we promised Gramps we’d keep the actual Guild Hall in one piece,” Natsu grinned brightly. “And even if we never find them again, at least we can say we did it. Or tried. Given our history, someone might try to attack us again.”

It was then that Natsu noticed something. Or someone.

“Aw,” Natsu crouched down to meet gazes with the little girl hiding behind Lyon. “Hi, there. I’m Natsu. What’s your name?”

“Chelia,” she whispered.

“That’s a cool name!” Natsu grinned. “Are you a member of Lamia Scale?”

The little girl shook her head, sliding out from behind Lyon just a little. “I’m only five. My cousin says I have to wait till I’m ten.”

“Well then you’ll just have to use that time to get stronger, right?”

A bright determination took over Chelia. “Yeah! I’ll train really hard! Then I’ll join Lamia Scale and beat Fairy Tail!”

Natsu cracked out a laugh. “I look forward to it, kid! You get stronger and then prove to the world how great a mage you are!”

Kinana managed to drag Chelia over to Romeo, Macao and Wakaba, the three working together to lift a beam as they chatted. It made Natsu smile.

“I’m afraid we were unable to find anything,” Jura switched to business, drawing Natsu’s attention back. “Blue Pegasus is working on a ship to observe Ethernanos, but it will take time for that project to finish. If you wish to keep searching, we’ll do our best to help, but most of our Guild believes we should move on.”

Natsu sighed. He hated being serious, but this was testing his ability to do so.

“I’d like to keep searching,” Natsu admitted, emerald eyes growing dull, “but I can’t keep my focus on the search and on the Guild at the same time. If Blue Pegasus is willing, I’ll let them know that they have my permission and blessing to search, but Max and Warren fear that many of our fellow Guildmates are weaning and doubting. I need to focus on the Guildmates we have here.”

“I understand,” Jura nodded, placing a hand on Natsu’s shoulder. “We’ll keep an ear out and ask other guilds to keep searching, but if you ever need anything-”

Natsu’s hand clasped onto Jura’s. “I know I can trust you and Blue Pegasus. Give my regards Master Ooba and Master Bob when you see them again, please. We really appreciate everything you’ve done.”

“They’d be proud,” Lyon spoke for the first time since he arrived. “Grey, at least, would be proud. Probably a little skeptical, but proud.”

Natsu snorted. “You kidding? He’d think I’d gone crazy!”

\--------------------

Lucy stretched, a job well done and the reward money safely with Virgo. She’d already sent a message to Cana letting her know the job was done and that she would be staying for a couple more days. Rose Village was rather quaint, and Lucy appreciated the quiet, for once. It gave her a chance to breathe.

_“Meow?”_

Lucy…knew that voice. Spinning around, Lucy gasped as she took in the sight of Millianna, Erza’s old friend.

“Hey! I knew I recognized you! You’re Erzie’s friend! Where is she anyways? Doesn’t she normally-hey…Why are you crying?”

Millianna didn’t know? How was Lucy supposed to tell her?

“Hey, you okay?” Millianna stepped forward, grasping Lucy’s shoulder’s gently. “Here. Come with me. I know a good place to get a drink, alright?”

Lucy couldn’t do much more than nod her head. “I have so much to tell you.”

The place Millianna took Lucy turned out to be Mermaid Heel, a new mage Guild that was quickly making a name for itself. Several of Millianna’s guildmates were quick to flock around Lucy as she continued to cry.

And the moment Lucy got a warm drink in hand, Lucy told Millianna _everything._ About Jellal and Wendy. About their trip to Edolas. About Tenrou. Erza.

“I’m sorry,” Lucy sniffed. “If we had known you didn’t know, we’d have looked for you. I know how much Erza meant to you, and you deserved to know the truth about Jellal.”

“All this time,” Millianna sniffed, kind women named Arana and Risley comforting their friend and sister. “I-I thought Jellal…turned on us…and he was…was being mind-controlled? Is-is he okay?”

Lucy wasn’t sure. She hadn’t checked on Jellal since everything happened. Perhaps she needed to pay him a visit. Perhaps she needed to pay several people a visit.

A woman clad in white, wearing a sword, and with fierce brown eyes stepped in front of Lucy and Millianna.

“My name is Kagura Mikazuchi. S Class Mage of Mermaid Heel. My brother was Simon, friend of Millianna, Jellal, and Erza. I-I thank you for bringing us closure.”

Kagura gave a bow to Lucy that made Lucy flushed. “You don’t need to thank me. Like I said, if I had known, I’d have raced over. That’s just what friends do.”

The ladies of Mermaid Heal were kind and welcoming, providing Lucy a place to stay. It was Millianna who informed Lucy of Kagura’s promise later.

“That sounds heartbreaking,” Lucy admitted. “You’re only goal in life to avenge someone who died. I can understand, but still. What happens when you complete that goal?”

“I don’t know,” Millianna kicked idly. “It seemed so noble when she told me. I guess I thought I could follow her.”

Lucy gave Millianna a sad smile. “Maybe it isn’t about following. Maybe Kagura needs a friend just as much as you do. You could become the other’s reason to live.”

After all, what was a guild if not a family.

\-------------------------

In order to be closer to the Guild Hall, Natsu had opted to stay at Lucy’s apartment. With her permission, of course. Both found they slept better at night with the other’s nearby.

“I hate that we’re giving up,” Lucy admitted into the silence, only Happy’s snores between them.

“We’re not giving up,” Natsu said, firm in every word. “But we need to focus on the Guild. We promised Gramps that we would keep the Guild Hall standing, and we’re going to do that. No matter the cost.”

“Yeah. I know we don’t have the resources to do more, but I feel like we should. You know?”

“Yeah.”

It kind of did feel like giving up. But Natsu wasn’t ready to lose faith that their family was still out there. He couldn’t. Not when he had a weird feeling about it.


	3. Special Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fairy Tail gets its first new member in a star-struck young girl Happy found in the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to post last night, so here is yesterday's chapter!!

Their training was moving along rather well as the months went on. They were out of debt, Fairy Tail’s name had been stabled, and their training ground was officially completed. They were nearing the end of the first year without their friends, and it was going to end with Alzack and Bisca getting married.

“We should probably look at introducing new members pretty soon,” Lucy tapped her chin as she made a list with Max and Warren. They still had to finish a few things on the old check-list too, but they could start focusing on building up the Guild now that it was stable again. “If we want Fairy Tail to continue, we’re going to need more than just Romeo to hold down the fort.”

“Yeah, but we should probably not just take people in like we normally do,” Warren hummed in thought. “Perhaps a few trials or something? I mean, you, Natsu, and Cana are crazy powerful as is. And we’re pretty rowdy. We’ll need to appeal to younger generations too.”

Lucy nodded, brow pinched. Fairy Tail had always made it their goal to be the #1 Magic Guild in all of Fiore. It wouldn’t be easy to reach that title if they didn’t have some sort of steady increase of members, and after the loss of so many powerful mages, a few members had left the Guild.

The thought was not dwelled upon further as a loud explosion sounded from outside, and Lucy’s instincts kicked in. Loki, sensing Lucy’s worry, quickly joined her side. Their gazes were instantly brought in the direction of their “secret base”, and Lucy wasted no time in racing towards the path.

She was not expecting what she stumbled upon.

Natsu was on the ground and Cana was hunched over him, poking him with a stick.

“See, I told you she’d freak out,” Cana teased upon catching sight of Lucy.

“Shut up,” Natsu groaned. “That took a lot out of me.”

“What happened?” Lucy demanded, stopping at Natsu’s other side.

It was Cana’s grin that eased something in Lucy. “Natsu learned a new move. He’s still got some of Laxus’ lightning inside of him.”

Lucy blinked, gaze whipping towards the dragon slayer. In response, Natsu lifted his fist in the air, letting it light on fire as lightning danced through the flames. Lucy gaped in shock. Had Natsu really unlocked some sort of new move?

“Alright that settles it,” Natsu sat up, startling Cana and Lucy. “I just need to get stronger! Then I’ll be able to control this new power and learn even more cool new moves!”

Lucy sighed. That was Natsu.

“Uh, hey,” Lucy glanced around. “What happened to Happy?”

That got their attention. The group looked around, searching for Happy and not seeing him in the clearing. Laki hadn’t seen him inside either.

“I guess the blast must have knocked him away,” Cana muttered. “Here, Natsu and I will go this way, Lucy, you take Loke and go that way. We’ll meet back here if we find him.”

Lucy and Loke nodded as they raced off into the woods, calling for Happy. They searched for a good couple hours, calling for the Exceed with no luck, before Loke needed to return to the Spirit World.

“HAPPY!”

“LUSHEE! COME QUICK!”

Lucy’s head whipped to the source of the familiar voice, catching sight of Happy, relatively unscathed, flying towards her with something in his arms. It took Lucy a moment to identify the battered thing as a person. A child, no less.

“Natsu and Cana were training,” Happy began, settling the little girl in Lucy’s arms. “And so I went to go get fish, but I heard something and went to investigate. And she was just passed out. Then I got lost.”

“It’s okay, Happy,” Lucy assured the teary-eyed Exceed. “We’ll get her some help, alright? Let’s head back to the base. We’ve been worried about you.”

Happy nodded whipping away his tears and flying close beside Lucy as she sprinted back towards the base. Natsu and Cana were already waiting by the time Happy and Lucy burst into the clearing.

“Happy!” Natsu cried in relief. “Buddy! You’re okay!”

Happy flew into Natsu’s chest, his story rushing out between sobs as Lucy and Cana took the little girl into the base. Jet was quick to race off to retrieve Porlyusica as Lucy began using her most basic knowledge of healing.

“Everyone out!” Porlyusica kicked them out of the med-bay the moment she arrived. “I will retrieve you when she is healed.”

That said, Lucy, Natsu, Cana, and Happy began the trek back to the main Guild Hall.

“You seem troubled,” Cana noted of her friend.

“She’s a celestial mage,” Lucy stated, face pinched in thought. “I saw her keys. Two were gold, Libra and Pisces. But there was a black key. One I’ve only heard rumors about.”

“A black key?” Happy questioned.

“Hold on,” Natsu stopped. “I thought there were only silver and gold keys.”

Lucy nodded. “There are. But there was always a rumor about a thirteenth zodiac key. Ophiuchus the Snake Charmer. I thought it was just a legend until I saw it. She must have searched hard for her keys, especially for someone so young.”

“So you gonna train her?” Happy asked. “I mean, you are the best celestial mage around.”

Lucy flushed. “I don’t know about that. But I’ll think about it. I mean, if she wants to stay, I don’t see why I can’t.”

“You’d be a great teacher, Luce!” Natsu encouraged. “You were already great with Wendy!”

There was a slight sting at that comment, but a warmth too. It made Lucy smile as she leaned into Natsu, ignoring the amused look from Cana. And it felt all the better when Natsu looped an arm around her waist. They’d learned to rely on each other a lot since Tenrou. More so than before.

It was nice in a way Lucy wasn’t sure how to describe.

\---------------------------

“Hi,” Natsu crouched down before the little girl once Porlyusica brought her to the guild. “I’m Natsu Dragneel. I’m the Master of this guild. Can you tell me your name?”

The girl watched Natsu carefully, wary. She had her celestial keys in her hands, clutched tight against her chest. The entire guild was resisting the urge to coo over the child. Not that anyone could blame them. With her bright amber eyes and short white hair, the girl was absolutely adorable.

“Yukino,” she whispered, clearly trying to curl in on herself. “My-my name is Yukino Aguria.”

“Nice to meet you, Yukino!” Natsu smiled. “I see you’re a celestial mage! My best friend is a celestial mage too!”

Lucy took that as her cue, letting herself walk up to Yukino with a smile.

“Hi,” Lucy greeted gently. “I’m Lucy Heartfilia.”

Yukino’s eyes widened in absolute awe. “You’re Lucy Heartfilia!”

“Uh, yeah,” Lucy flushed.

“You’re a celestial spirit mage! Just like me!” the girl gushed. “You’re amazing!”

Now Lucy was definitely red. “I-I’m not that good.”

“What are you talking about, Luce?” Natsu cocked his head, still on the ground beside Yukino. “You’re one of the best mages I know! You have an amazing bond with your spirits and you befriended the celestial Spirit King!”

“Really?” Yukino might as well have had stars in her eyes. “That’s so cool!”

“Not to mention that time she saved the Lion Spirits life,” Cana threw in her two cents. Much to Lucy’s disdain.

“You’re amazing!” Yukino awed.

“Yeah, she really is,” Natsu agreed, grin on his face. “She’s the best.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Lucy shook her head.

“So, how about it, Yukino?” Natsu turned towards the girl. “You wanna join Fairy Tail and learn from the most amazing Celestial Mage out there?”

“Yes please!”

What had Natsu gotten her into? She might just kill him later.

“First we should probably get her a place to stay and some new clothes,” Laki pointed out. “She’ll need to recover before we attempt any training.”

“Huh, that’s a good point,” Natsu agreed in thought. “Well, we should probably go ahead and get that done. Cana, do you want to go with, or do you want to watch the Guild.”

“I’ll stay here,” Cana grinned. “Don’t want to corrupt the kid, ya know. I also need to figure out what we did with the stamp.”

Yeah, that was kind of important. Lucy sighed. It was going to be a long day, and she was not sure what to make of the child that awed her. Still, having Yukino join their guild certainly solved one of their problems.

\--------------------------

“It’s important to have a bond with your spirits,” Lucy smiled at Yukino. “You might already know that, but most celestial wizards have an affection for their spirits, but I’ve found that having a bond of friendship or family is often the strongest bond to have. Like my spirits like to pop out on their own, at least, the ones strong enough to. And those that aren’t strong enough, I try to let them out once in a while.”

Yukino nodded along, clearly drinking in every word.

“Take Aquarius for example,” Lucy held up her key. “She’s been with me since my mother died, and I’d consider her my oldest friend. Basically family. I try to form a bond with each of my Spirits, but my strongest bond is with Aquarius. And that makes her my strongest spirit.”

“So I should see my spirits as my friends,” Yukino mumbled in thought. “I can do that! They’re already really nice to me and protect me. But I always feel bad when they have to do all the fighting.”

“That’s understandable,” Lucy offered gently. “I always hate it when my Spirits get hurt because of me, so that’s why I started using my whip. And when that wasn’t enough, I started practicing combat forms. That way I could fight with my spirits! We could teach you a few things too if you want.”

“Yes please!”

Maybe teaching Yukino wouldn’t be so bad.

“We’ll work you into our training schedule,” Lucy beamed, getting a bright smile right back. “And when you’re ready, we’ll start preparing for jobs! We’ll let you tag along with us first, and then we’ll go from there.”

“Okay! Thank you Miss Lucy.”

“Call me Lucy,” she insisted. Yukino was definitely adorable if a little star-struck. “All my friends do!”

On second thought, they may have to address the whole fangirl thing. Lucy wasn’t sure what to do when Yukino passed out, and she’d dealt with Juvia. Cana found the whole thing hilarious.

So did Natsu, who had to go back to his own home for the night. He sulked the entire rest of the day, much to the amusement of _everyone else_. But if Lucy woke up the next morning to find Natsu and Happy fast asleep on their makeshift bed that had become a permanent thing in her apartment, Lucy didn’t say anything. Just made them both breakfast.


	4. First Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wedding, a fight, a secret weapon, a ghost, and a two new faces. A lot is going down. Natsu, Cana, Lucy, and Happy are just going with the flow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my air conditioning decided to give up on life last night. In the middle of a heatwave. So I did not post last night. I was too busy dying.

Tomorrow was to be Alzack and Bisca’s wedding, and they couldn’t find the stupid wine! It got to the point that a team had literally been scattered to specific parts of Fiore just to find a replacement. The wine was special because Makarov had specifically been saving it for the weddings of his children, as stated by one of Makarov’s many guide books. It was a sweet gesture, and one that the group wished to carry forth with. But no one could find it.

“This is ridiculous,” Cana huffed as Natsu threw open another door. “How many tunnels does the old man have! What, did he think we’d raid his secret stash or something?”

“Do you honestly think we wouldn’t?” Lucy teased her friend, earning a scoff from Cana. “Besides, we’re not even sure the wine bottles are still out there. For all we know, they might have been used already.”

“Yeah, maybe Gramps had to sell them for all the damage we caused. OW!”

Yukino giggled as Lucy gave a sharp slap to the back of Natsu’s head. Alzack and Bisca had been looking forward to the special wine. A memory of their guildmates and former master. So such negative thoughts were not allowed.

“We’ll just have to search these tunnels till we find it!”

“Aye sir!” Happy agreed, much to Natsu’s protest. Well…his stomach’s protest.

“Can’t we at least stop for lunch or something?”

“Breakfast was two hours ago,” Lucy waved off. “You’ll be fine.”

“Well there’s another door over here,” Yukino pointed to a door that might have been hidden had they not been looking. “Maybe he kept it in there.”

Natsu grinned and marched towards the door, throwing it open with the hope their search was over. Only to freeze and stumble back with a gasp. Yukino and Happy saw it next, both letting out shrieks of horror, while Cana and Lucy froze and gaped.

“Is that…?”

“The First Master?”

There, encased in a Lacrima, was Fairy Tail’s first Master. Master Mavis Vermillion.

“Oh! Hello! It’s been a while since I’ve had visitors!”

The group turned to face the voice and promptly screamed in horror. Because despite the fact that there was a body in a lacrima, Mavis Vermillion was standing before them.

“GHOST!” Happy screamed.

“The Guild is haunted!” Natsu cried out.

“Wait!” the ghost of Master Mavis begged. “Please don’t go! Please! I need to tell you what happened on Tenrou!”

This made the group absolutely freeze.

\-----------------------------

The wine was later found with the aid of Master Mavis, and the group went home, reeling over what they learned. Well, okay, they all went to Lucy’s apartment.

“So they could be back any day,” Natsu finally broke the silence.

“Or it could be years,” Cana grumbled.

“At least we know they’re alive,” Lucy whispered, dazed.

“Aye,” Happy agreed at her side in a similar daze.

“What do we tell the rest of the Guild?” Cana questioned.

And wasn’t that the problem. They could tell the Guild and get their hopes up, or they could leave well enough alone and wait for the results. Not even Master Mavis had been sure when Fairy Sphere would release their friends. It left them all with a painful ache.

“We don’t tell them,” Natsu decided.

“But-”

“We don’t tell them,” Natsu stressed each syllable between clenched teeth, gaze sharp and determined. “We can’t risk the Guild hanging onto that sort of hope. We’ll swear Yukino to secrecy and then we keep this knowledge to ourselves. That is an order from your Guild Master.”

Lucy, Cana, and Happy exchanged looks. Natsu hadn’t really used his title as Master other than to secure Fairy Tail. Natsu was taking this just as seriously as he would a fight for one of his friends. And that scared them.

And With Natsu’s words, it was decided and agreed that Tenrou Island would be kept a secret. Yukino, though not quite understanding, agreed to keep the secret.

\--------------------

In true Fairy Tail style, the Guild partied hard at the reception. No one was allowed to work by decree of Natsu Dragneel, Fourth Master of Fairy Tail, and all other training were put on hold. Poor Yukino got to see the full brunt of a Fairy Tail party when a fight broke out.

“So it’s always like this?” Yukino questioned.

“Yeah, more or less,” Lucy and Laki ducked away from a few flying bottles. “Just a few friendly spats here and there. It’s a bit of a tradition and what makes Fairy Tail so unique.”

“You get used to it,” Kinana promised. “It’s really fun! And we know that no matter what happens, we’ll always love each other.”

The four ducked, a giggle coming from Kinana as they watched Wakaba get thrown across the Guild. It really was the best reception ever, and it would have been all the better had all their friends been there.

“And I’m missing out on the action?”

“LOKE!” Lucy gaped at her spirit.

Loke turned and gave a wink at Lucy before charging in on the fight. After a moment of gaping, Lucy couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Of course that idiot would want to join in,” Lucy laughed fondly.

“Your spirit summoned himself?” Yukino questioned in awe.

That’s right. Yukino hadn’t been in the Guild long. It was hard to remember that sometimes when she seemed to meld right in.

“Well, Loke is the spirit of Leo the Lion,” Lucy explained brightly. “He’s a bit stronger than most of the celestial spirits, and he’s not afraid to summon himself for any given time. He was actually on Tenrou for a time before our friend Grey forced him to close his gate. We might have lost him otherwise.”

“Can any of your other spirits summon themselves?” Yukino asked in awe.

“Well, not on their own power,” Lucy tapped her chin in thought. “Virgo has summoned herself by borrowing a bit of my power, and Horologion can summon himself when either myself or a friend is in danger. Aquarius might be strong enough to summon herself, but she’s never outwardly done so.”

“Wow!” Yukino breathed. “You’re amazing, Lucy! I don’t think I’d ever be as strong as you!”

“Don’t say that,” Lucy chided the girl. “If you doubt your own power, how can you ever expect your spirits to have faith in you. If you trust yourself then your spirits will trust you too, and then you’ll get stronger and stronger. The only difference between me and you is that I’m older and been doing this longer. You could probably surpass me some day.”

“You really think so?” Yukino gasped.

“I know so!” Lucy cheered.

Only for the four girls to scream as the bar shattered.

“NATSU! WE PROMISED TO KEEP THE GUILD IN ONE PIECE!”

“IT WASN’T ME! I SWEAR!”

\----------------------

“I don’t like that Lumine Historie is so accessible,” Cana grumbled as they made their way back to Mavis’ body. “If it’s really as powerful as First Master says it is, then that’s a problem waiting to happen. Imagine if someone else took control of the Guild Hall?”

“You’re right,” Lucy agreed. “That’s an accident waiting to happen. A war waiting to happen.”

“And given how often people like to attack us, it would be really bad if someone outside our guild found out,” Happy pointed out. “The Magic Council would go ballistic.”

“That would be a problem,” Mavis appeared before them. “But I’m also not willing to be moved too far from the Guild Hall. This is the central most part of Magnolia. I can better protect you all from here.”

“Well what if we made a secret room inside a secret room,” Natsu suggested. “Like a hidden compartment in one of Lucy’s books.”

“That…could work,” Lucy muttered. “We’d have to figure out the logistics of it. But a false wall or something might give us the desire effect. We could make this place a secret library or storehouse with Master hidden behind it.”

“Exactly!” Natsu grinned. “And we could get your spirits to help! That way it stays between us!”

Lucy kind of gaped at Natsu. He’d really planned this out. She knew Natsu had stayed up most the night, but this. This was a different side of Natsu. He was coming into his role as Master with a grave seriousness. Had Lucy not watched Natsu trash the guild hall earlier, she might have believed this was a totally different person. Still, it begged the question of whether or not Master Makarov had known about this side of Natsu.

“We’ll have another secret base!” Natsu cheered, throwing his fist in the air like an over-eager idiot.

“Aye, sir!”

Of course, Natsu would always be Natsu. Lucy would admit to herself that it was kind of a relief to know that being Guild Master or the loss of their friends hadn’t taken away Natsu’s spark. She wasn’t sure what she would do if he lost the drive that made Natsu who he was suddenly went away.

“You’re staring~” Cana teased from behind, getting a Lucy Kick in response.

She was very glad Yukino was not there to see that. She didn’t want the girl to start coming up with fan-theories next about her and Natsu dating. That would be a nightmare. She wasn’t even sure if Natsu could do romantic relationships.

Oh well. Guess they needed to start planning.

“Secret base!” Natsu cheered.

“Secret base!” Mavis cheered with him.

“Aye, sir!”

“Oh great,” Lucy muttered to the recovering Cana. “There’s two of them, now.”

“I’m starting to understand why our guild is so wild,” Cana snickered.

\-----------------------------

The train pulled to a stop at Magnolia station, just as it always did. The crowd of people entering and exiting mumbled, not bothering with the sight before them. It was, after all, quite common for Magnolia.

“Come. On.” The little Exceed huffed as he dragged his friend from the train. “Get. Ahold. Of. Yourself.”

The two collapsed a few feet away from the train, the human taking a few breaths of relief as the Exceed panted.

“Alright!” the human, a child, shot up. “We’re finally in Magnolia!”

“Yeah,” the Exceed sighed in relief. “We made it!”

“Come on, Lector,” the child scooped up his friend. “We’ve gotta go find Fairy Tail and challenge Natsu to a battle!”

“Can we get something to eat first? Please, Sting?”

Sting paused, his stomach grumbling in hunger. He had _just_ enough jewel in his pocket for a meal. Maybe they’d get lucky and find a buffet. Plus they needed a place to sleep. But Sting didn’t know Magnolia all that well. He could probably ask someone, but…

“Hey, an Exceed,” a voice floated over to Sting’s sensitive hearing. “I thought they all lived near Crocus, now.”

“Maybe he’s one of the ones that hatched here on Earthland,” another voice spoke up. “Let’s go say hello.”

Sting turned, getting in a fighting stance as two med approached. The two men paused at the sight of Sting’s tense nature, but made themselves relax and smile.

“Hey, there, kid,” the first man greeted. “The name is Max Alors. We couldn’t help but notice you were with an Exceed and thought we’d come say hello!”

“I’m Warren Rocko,” the other man greeted. “We’re wizards of Fairy Tail, so we know a couple of Exceeds.”

Sting’s eyes widened. Fairy Tail? Natsu’s guild.

“I’m Lector!” the exceed chirped when Sting stared in shock. “And this is my buddy Sting. He’s a dragon slayer!”

“A dragon slayer!” Max’s eyes widened. “Hey, that’s cool! Are you a first generation dragon slayer or a second generation? We’ve had both in our guild!”

Sting swallowed. “A third.”

Warren and Max exchanged looks. “There are three types of dragon slayers?”

Sting nodded. It wasn’t a memory he was overly fond of. “I was raised by a dragon, but I also have a Lacrima. To increase my power.”

“Woah, that’s neat kid,” Warren gave a bright smile, but then it faltered, much to Sting’s worry. “Wait, the lacrima wasn’t forced on you, was it? No one forced you to take it?”

Sting kept his mouth firmly shut.

“Hey, it’s alright,” max crouched to Sting’s level. “We’re not mad at you or anything. We’re just worried. Our second generation dragon slayer, Laxus, had his lacrima forced on him by his father. If someone is hurting you, we want to help.”

“No one’s hurting me!” Sting snapped. “I’m too strong for that!”

“Hey, no need to get defensive,” Warren put his hands up in surrender. “We’re Fairy Tail wizards. No one is going to judge you for any pain you endured. Alright? If anything, we’d help you if someone was hurting you. That’s just what Fairy Tail does.”

“Why don’t we head to the Guild Hall,” Max stood up, jabbing a finger in the direction of the guild. “We’ve gotta a wicked bar, and Lucy’s a pretty mean cook. She of everyone understands the bottomless pit of a dragon slayer. And we could introduce you to Natsu, too. He’d be so excited to meet another dragon slayer!”

“Yeah he would,” Warren encouraged, offering a hand. “What do you say, kid. Wanna check out Fairy Tail?”

And how could Sting say no to that. This was his chance to prove he was stronger than Natsu, the greatest Dragon Slayer alive.

So he took Warren’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check you're air conditioning ladies and gents. Don't let yourself suffer like that


	5. Dragon White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sting challenges Natsu to a duel. Yukino attempts to make a new friend. And there is a growing problem that seriously needs to be addressed. And if the Magic Council won't, Fairy Tail will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have very bad writers block right now. Which basically means nothing is being written until my brain decides to take the thoughts in my head and put them on paper.

Natsu blinked, staring down at the child before him. “Yeah, okay, sure. I’ll fight you. But you should probably eat something first. No point fighting on an empty stomach, after all.”

“I think we still have some shepherd’s pie left over that could tied him over till we get a proper meal made,” Laki offered in thought. “Kinana, do you remember where we put it?”

“Yep,” the girl chirped, skipping into the back behind the bar.

Natsu ushered Sting over to one of the many Guild Hall tables, much to Sting’s surprise, and sat him down while Kinana brought out the shepherd’s pie. The older Dragon Slayer grinned as he heated up the delicious smelling food for Sting to eat.

“So, Warren said something about a third generation dragon slayer,” Natsu prompted, all bright smiles and cheery. Nothing like the Natsu that Sting had expected. “What’s that about?”

Sting suddenly felt sheepish. “I was raised by Weisslogia, but I got a dragon lacrima too.”

Something passed over Natsu’s face, and he glanced to Warren. But it was gone before Sting could fully register what it was.

“So I take it Weisslogia disappeared too?”

The spoon in Sting’s hand snapped. The Guild Hall went silent, Natsu watching Sting carefully and Lector cowering back.

“I killed him.”

No one in the Guild moved, not even Natsu, who stared at Sting with a furrowed, intense gaze. Except, despite his hearing and enhanced senses, Sting was wrong. Someone had moved. He jerked around, finding a blonde woman standing beside him, hand on his shoulder. At first glance, one might have mistaken that look for pity, but Sting felt captivated by the woman before him, by the magic power that coursed through her. The expression on her face was kind, gentle, understanding.

“It’s alright,” and her voice was just as soft and kind as her magic. “You can tell us what happened. No one here will judge.”

Something in Sting snapped. When was the last time someone besides Weisslogia and Lector had been this kind to him? He threw himself into her embrace, letting her cradle him as he cried out. He never gave himself the chance to mourn his father. Not when there was always something expected of him.

“He…he said I needed to do it…” Sting sobbed. “To complete my training. I didn’t know what else to do! I swear! I didn’t want to kill my dad!”

At some point, Natsu had gotten up and stood beside the woman and Sting, putting a hand on Sting’s shoulder.

“We believe you,” Natsu’s words sounded like a promise. “We believe you, kid. And we’re going to help you if you’ll let us. Will you let us?”

Sting continued to sob into the woman’s chest. He couldn’t remember the last time someone was this kind to him. It had been so long. So, so long.

\----------------------------

The crowd watched as Sting delivered hit after hit, punch after punch, and attack after attack. To no avail. Natsu was stronger than Sting anticipated, and even when Sting managed to land a hit, Natsu seemed to recover and keep going. By the end, Sting was too tired to even throw a punch, and Natsu called the fight.

“That was awesome!” Natsu cheered, still fired with energy. “You handled that like a pro!”

“But-but I didn’t even,” Sting tried to protest.

“Hey,” and Natsu’s voice was gentle, now. Arms pulling Sting onto Natsu’s back. “You did really well. But I’ve spent my whole life trying to be stronger. The strongest I can be. And I’m older than you, remember. I’ve had more time. There’s nothing wrong with your strength, okay? With the right training, you’ll be just as strong as me, maybe stronger!”

Sting turned his head away as Natsu began to walk them down the mountain.

“So I guess I need to go, huh?”

“Go?” Natsu stopped in his tracks, some of the other guildmates that had overseen the fight stopping too. “Why would you go?”

“Well, you beat me,” Sting pointed out. “No one wants someone weak.”

Natsu let out a scoff. “Whoever told you that was a fool. You can stay as long as you like, Sting. I ain’t sending you away. You could even join Fairy Tail if you want! We’re a guild for getting stronger for the sake of our friends and family. No better way to build your strength!”

Sting blinked. “But Master Jiemma said no one wants a weak fighter. I have to always be the best.”

“Who the heck is Master Jenna?”

Sting sputtered, a laugh bubbling past his lips.

“I think I’ve heard of Master Jiemma, Master Natsu,” Yukino pipped up (“please just call me Natsu”). “He’s starting a Guild called Sabertooth, right Sting? He wants to be the strongest Guild in Fiore.”

“Yeah, that’s him,” Sting grumbled. “Coming here to beat you was supposed to be my test to join. But I failed, so now I have to go and get stronger.”

“Guy sounds like a jerk,” Natsu admitted after a moment, feet once more working towards the guild. “Hey! Macao! Remind me to look into the new Sabertooth Guild sometime! We might be getting some competition!”

“Will do, Natsu!” the man obviously named Macao waved back, though he seemed distracted.

“I’ll remind you, Master Natsu,” the little boy at Macao’s side called back.

“Thanks, Romeo!” Natsu called back. “And stop calling me Master!”

Sting paused at that odd request. “Why aren’t they allowed to call you, Master? Master Jiemma always insists that we call him Master.”

“Geez, guy sounds like a hard case,” Natsu grumbled again, slowing down a bit in his strides. “I don’t let people call me Master because it doesn’t feel right. Not after the way I lost my guildmates and our previous Master. Sometimes I think Gramps was off his rocker when he chose me.”

The guild was in view and Sting noticed the mood had shifted a little. He didn’t dare say a word the rest of the way to the Guild, and no one else said much else either.

“Why don’t you go see Grams,” Natsu set Sting down on the guild floor. “I’ve gotta go talk to Lucy and Cana about the Guild budget. Wakaba blew up a building yesterday.”

Sting blinked, not entirely sure who Grams was, but didn’t have the chance to ponder it as Yukino grabbed his hand. She led him back to what had to be an infirmary, where a strict looking woman with pink hair was organizing supplies.

“Hi, Miss Porlyusica,” Yukino waved cheerfully to the woman. “Sting and Master Natsu’s fight just finished! Could you check Sting over, please?”

Porlyusica sighed. “When will you people learn to stop throwing each other around?”

But she lifted Sting onto one of the medical beds, letting Yukino stick around as she healed up some cuts and bruises Sting had obtained. Though Yukino’s presence seemed to agitated the old woman, who continued to grumble under her breath.

“You could join Fairy Tail, you know,” Yukino swung her legs idly as Porlyusica left to get more herbs. “Master Natsu wouldn’t mind, and everyone is such a good family here. Lucy is even teaching me about my Celestial magic!”

“Yeah, well, I’m not looking to stay in a sissy guild,” Sting bit out.

Yukino frowned, punching him in the shoulder. Hard.

“OW! Hey what was that-”

“We’re not a sissy guild,” Yukino huffed. “You don’t know anything about us if that’s what you think. Just because they lost their friends and family doesn’t mean they’re sissies. If anything, losing their friends has only made them stronger!”

“What are you talking about?” Sting frowned. “Natsu mentioned something about that too?”

Yukino blinked at him, mouth opening slowly. “Do you really not know?”

“Know what?”

“About Tenrou Island? Why Natsu is Guild Master?”

Sting…hadn’t really put much thought into why Natsu was made Guild Master. He just assumed that Natsu had kicked the old bum out. Jiemma was always talking about being stronger and removing the weak. He just assumed Fairy Tail was the same.

“It was the S Class trials,” Yukino whispered, hand pulling her keys to her chest. Clearly a gesture of comfort. “Master Natsu, Miss Cana, Happy, and Lucy were supposed to go, but Lucy got really sick. So they stayed behind to care for her. It ended up saving their lives.”

\--------------------------

Sting hadn’t seen it before because he wasn’t looking, but it was beyond clear that Natsu, Lucy, Cana, and Happy blamed themselves for the disappearance of Tenrou Island and the death of their friends. He learned that Natsu, Lucy and Cana were coordinating with Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus to become S Class Mages as their original path was demolished.

He learned that Happy was trying to learn transformation magic because a fellow Exceeds had mentioned it would increase his magic power.

He learned that Lucy read one new book every day for the sake of Levy McGarden.

He learned that Cana would spend her extra cash on swords and armor rather than booze and beer so that Erza Scarlet would have all the latest fashion, weapons, and designs.

He learned that Natsu made frequent trips to Lamia Scale to reminisce with Lyon Vastia, the adopted brother of Gray Fullbuster.

He learned that Lucy spent hours not doing jobs, running the guild or training with her guild; by learning every recipe left to them by Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna Strauss. But that she also spent time learning from a separate cookbook left by Juvia Lockser.

He learned that Cana would take jobs farther away to search for Laxus Dreyar so that she could tell them about the Thunder Legion.

He learned that Happy would fly all over town, trying to find matching clothes for Wendy Marvell and Carla.

He learned that Natsu would leave whenever someone mentioned a possible dragon sighting, hoping to find the dragons for the sake of Wendy Marvell and Gajeel Redfox.

He learned that Natsu, Lucy, and Happy could hardly bare to take a job together after the loss of their friends and teammates.

He learned that Fairy Tail’s Master and his three companions were laden with so much guilt that they dedicated their lives to getting stronger because if any of them lost another member of their Guild, they’d break. The price had been high, and none of them felt it was worth the outcome.

“They’re strong because they love each other,” Sting came to the conclusion one day while out in the woods. “They love each other so they became stronger.”

“Looks that way,” Lector agreed.

Sting stood up, determination in his eyes.

“Lector,” Sting called to his best friend. “Let’s join Fairy Tail, yeah? Let’s get stronger together.”

“Yeah!” Lector shot up in the air. “You and me, Sting, my buddy! We’ll get stronger and be the best and we’ll make Fairy Tail great!”

Sting gave a chuckle. Lector didn’t get it yet.

“Fairy Tail is already, great, buddy,” Sting pat Lector’s head, a smile working up his face. “We’d just be adding to its legacy. We’ll join Fairy Tail and learn from this Guild and work our way right up there with Natsu’s family!”

Because if Sting had learned anything from Fairy Tail, it was that family made you stronger, whether they were there in person or in spirit, they were the driving force that made one strong.

“Whatever you say, Sting!” Lector agreed.

And that was good enough for Sting.

“Right! Let’s go talk to Natsu!”

It was probably the best day of Sting’s life, getting his very own Guild mark. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the following party at first, but he eagerly joined the fighting once it started. Who knew Fairy Tail could be so interesting.

“NATSU! STOP DESTROYING THE GUILDHALL!”

“IT’S NOT JUST ME! THEY STARTED IT!”

Oh yeah, Sting knew he would fit right in!

\-----------------------------

“You think the Master of Sabertooth forced a Dragon Slayer Lacrima on a child?” Lyon concluded.

“We don’t have proof,” Natsu hissed. “Yet. But we need to keep an eye on that Guild Master. Lucy’s attempting to get an audience with the King of Fiore to try and address the situation of Guilds abusing their members, especially children, but we have no idea how long that will take.”

“Why not just take this to the Magic Council?” Sherry questioned. “Wouldn’t that be right up their alley?”

“You would think so,” Jura agreed, though his face was grave. “But after the scandal with Jellal, the Magic Council has been trying to cover their tracks. They’re placing the blame for anything and everything on whoever they please to clear their own name. Namely Fairy Tail.”

“Well that’s blowing up in their faces,” Yuka pointed out. “Sorcerer Weekly did an article on the _Grief and Mourning of Fairy Tail_. The article was so moving that any time the Magic Council has tried to in something on Fairy Tail, they’ve been getting serious backlash. The Wizard Saints are being urged to step forward and do something.”

“And as much as I can see the gain of doing so,” Jura cut off anyone else from adding. “The Wizard Saints would be no better than the Magic Council. We’re far too scattered, and not all of us are fully loyal to Fiore. Putting us in a room together and expecting us to run all things magic would be a nightmare waiting to happen.”

“And with Makarov gone, that’s one less Wizard Saint,” Lyon nodded in agreement, face pinched in thought. “Alright, we’ll keep an eye on Sabertooth. If we believe anything is amiss, we’ll just have to find a way to deal with it ourselves.”

“I’m visiting Blue Pegasus next,” Natsu nodded, gaze flickering over to where Sherry perked up. “And Lucy discovered an old friend had joined Mermaid Heel. If the Magic Council won’t do anything about this, then we will. But there is one more thing I think we should look into. Completely off the record.”

This piqued the interest of the Lamia’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read the starting note, there is good news too!
> 
> The writers block didn't hit me until book 3 of this series. The thing is, I know what I want to happen, but those ideas just won't become physical words.
> 
> Tis a funk.


	6. Saber's Bite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jiemma is out for blood. Natsu's out for so much more. No one touches his guild.
> 
> No one.

Word of Fairy Tail’s two newest members got out quick. With Sorcerer Weekly coming in to cover how the Guild was doing after the loss of some of their key members, Jason easily took interest the two newest members. Er. Excuse me. Three newest members. Can’t forget Lector. But the news of a new Dragon Slayer, and a Celestial Mage with the remaining gold keys traveled fast and far, reaching all over Fiore.

Lucy knew as soon as she saw the article that it would mean trouble. It wouldn’t be Fairy Tail if they didn’t attract some sort of trouble.

“Jet and Droy aren’t back yet,” Macao noted at the bar. “They should have been back ages ago.”

“I noticed,” Natsu admitted through clenched teeth. The two were only supposed to have run a simpler errand. They had been struggling to get back into actual jobs since the loss of Levy and Lucy had been assigning them odd jobs to help them keep an income. “I’ll give it another hour and then we send people to look for them.”

The tension in Natsu’s body was high, high enough for everyone to see and feel. If they lost another Guild member, let alone two, Natsu would _never_ forgive himself.

“Wait,” Sting sniffed the air. “I think I smell them…but…something’s wrong.”

Natsu took a whiff of the air. Yes, he did smell Jet and Droy, but there was also something off. Something…he hadn’t smelt before. But the way Sting suddenly tensed at his side wasn’t a good sign.

“Master Jiemma-” Sting whimpered.

Before anyone had a chance to acknowledge what Sting said, the doors were blown off their hinges. Well, that was an understatement. In reality, the entire front half of the Guild was blown inward. Natsu barely had time to move and shield those he was closest to in proximity before the Guild Hall erupted.

Sting quivered in pure fear as a man threw Jet and Droy on top of the ruins of the Fairy Tail entrance. A rage burned bright in Natsu, one that hadn’t fully occurred since his friends were practically killed.

“Who are you?” Natsu growled, the full force of his magic trying to surge forward. “Who are you to dare attack our Guild?”

“Master Jiemma of Sabertooth, and you have something that belongs to me.”

Jiemma’s fate was sealed the moment he spoke those words. Not that he knew it. Jiemma had always been proud, and the fact that these little fairies had taken one of his dragons right out from under his nose was laughable.

In his own opinion, at least.

“People aren’t objects,” Natsu passed the quacking Sting to Alzack and Bisca. “We don’t treat our guild members as objects. And if you think we’re going to let this slide, you’ve got another thing coming. After all, it’s illegal for one guild to outright attack another.”

There were several reasons Natsu didn’t outwardly lung at Jiemma. For one, despite public protest, the Magic Council was still looking for any and every possible way to demonize Fairy Tail. It was a hard fought battle, and one Natsu had forced himself to become accustom too. The Magic Council couldn’t be trusted to not pin this entire attack on Fairy Tail should one of their guildmates lash out. The second was that Jet and Droy were still far to close to Jiemma for Natsu to risk lashing out. The third was that Lucy and Warren had called for back-up.

How did Gramps make these decisions?

“Then perhaps we’ll do this civilized,” Jiemma offered, as if he could redeem the fact that he purposefully attacked their Guildmates and destroyed part of their Guild. “A battle. Master vs. Master.”

Natsu’s eyes narrowed. Natsu of nearly a year ago would have been all for this idea, but that had been a year ago. Before he lost his friends to a murder crazy dragon. But as it stood, this was Natsu of now, and the only thing he wanted to do was make sure his family was safe.

This had to be what Gramps felt whenever one of them recklessly flew into battle.

“If you think I’m going to play your petty game then you’re wrong,” Natsu stated flatly, glare holding the fire in his eyes. “This may be a game to you, but not the rest of us.”

“Do you care so little for your guild mates,” Jiemma raised a hand and though Natsu couldn’t tell what was happing, he watched in horror as his friends screamed. “A pity. With my training regimen, they might have flourished.”

Natsu was seconds away from dropping the responsible Guild Master act when he caught a whiff of a familiar sent. A couple of familiar smells, really.

“No. They wouldn’t. And your time is up, _Jenna._ ”

Jiemma’s nostrils flared, clearly ready to attack, when a voice spoke from behind.

“That is enough! Master Jiemma of Sabertooth, you are hereby under arrest for the attack and assault on Fairy Tail! Your time as Guild Master is over and you’re Guild will be disbanded effective immediately!”

Natsu had never been so relieved to see Lahar. Nor did he ever think he would be so relieved to see Doranbolt. But it was definitely a relief. Lucy used the moment that Jiemma was stunned to flick her whip and tug Jet and Droy to safety. This, of course, anger Jiemma.

“You fairies will pay for this,” Jiemma roared.

By the gift of Mavis, Natsu felt the time it took for Jiemma to build up his magic power. And in that moment, Natsu reacted. Capricorn had been the one to insist on self defense lessons in combat, and Virgo gladly gave lessons to anyone who asked. So when Natsu reacted, it was without magic and with the intent to subdue. And with Lahar and Doranbolt watching, Natsu had no fear as he reacted.

His family would be safe.

Jiemma hit the ground unconscious the moment Natsu struck the correct pressure point.

“Get him out of my Guild,” Natsu growled at Lahar and Doranbolt.

Neither needed to be told twice. With the aid of the Magic Council Guards, Jiemma was placed into a magic mobile and shipped off to the Magic Council. Lucy carefully passed over the recording lacrima with the evidence of the attack.

“Lucy! Happy! Get packed! We’re going to pay the Sabertooth Guild a visit! Cana, you’re in charge till we get back!”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Lahar questioned.

“Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, and Blue Pegasus are already on their way there,” Lucy informed, handing over the necessary paperwork for repairs to Cana. “They’ll deal with the aftermath of everything. We’re just going to check over their Guild members. We have reason to suspect abuse and magical experimentation.”

“I want to go too!” Yukino shot up, racing to Lucy’s side. “Sabertooth has a lot of young members! I can help break the news to them!”

“I’ll go too!” Sting shakily pulled away from Alzack and Bisca. “I know many of Sabertooth’s members. I-I can help!”

An entire conversation seemed to pass between Lucy and Natsu.

“Okay. But you’ll need to stay close, alright?”

“Yes, Lucy!”

\------------------------

Sabertooth’s Guild Hall was as big and out-there as their Master. Clearly Jiemma wanted to make a statement, and it really wasn’t hard to find the building.

“Ah, you’re here,” Jura greeted them, Kagura at his side. “We’ve mostly wrapped up the situation, and we’ve given the Guild members an ultimatum.”

“There are still a few who are either hesitant or rebellious,” Kagura added. “Jiemma’s daughter, Minerva being one such case. If Fairy Tail doesn’t mind, we’d like to recruit her into Mermaid Heel.”

“As long as you take care of her,” Lucy gave Kagura a warm smile. “And given how kind your Guild is, I think she’ll be just fine.”

Kagura nodded, walking off towards where several of her Guildmates were talking to a little girl. She seemed to have been in tears, rather red in the face, but clearly exhausted.

“There is one thing you should see,” Jura stated gravely, already leading the way. “We hope you’ll be able to reach him.”

They were led down a serious of hallways that made Sting grow tenser and tenser. Natsu eventually put Sting on his shoulders, letting Sting bury his face in Natsu’s hair. Yukino pressed close to Lucy as the two Exceeds hovered warily above the four.

The sight they were met with was Lyon and Sherry gently whispering into a room, not quite inside.

“Its alright, we won’t harm you,” Lyon prompted.

“Frosch thinks you should leave us alone!”

The little meek voice barely reached Lucy’s ears, but she knew Natsu and Sting heard it loud and clear. But to her surprise, Sting vaulted off of Natsu’s shoulder, jumped past Lyon and Sherry, and disappeared into the room.

“Rogue?” Sting’s voice asked shakily. “Rogue, is that-?”

“Sting,” a different voice responded.

It stirred Lucy and Natsu to the door, where they took in the sight of Sting’s white magic illuminating his hand as a boy crouched in the darkness weakly stared up at him. An Exceed dressed in a battered frog costume was crying, arms spread wide to defend the boy.

“Yeah, it’s me, Rogue,” Sting sniffed, gently placing a hand on Rogue’s arm. “I’m here. What-what happened to you?”

Rogue seemed to shrink in on himself.

“Hey, hey, it’s me, okay,” Sting pulled Rogue into a hug. “It’s me. I brought friends. Nice friends, Rogue. They don’t hurt me or anything. Well, Yukino can pack a mean punch, but I deserved it. They can help us.”

“Help-?”

Sting grinned at the boy. “Let’s get out of here, yeah?”

“Frosch thinks so too,” the Exceed reached for Rogue. “Let’s go, Rogue.”

Rogue nodded, letting Sting lift him up and guide him from the room. It was clear Rogue had been locked away for some time, trapped in the dark with no one but Frosch.

“This is Natsu,” Sting introduced brightly. “He’s Fairy Tail’s Master, now. And this is Lucy Heartfilia. She’s Natsu’s friend and partner, along with Happy over there. And this is Yukino. She and Miss Lucy are Celestial Wizards, so they can summon spirits!”

Rogue looked at them with wide eyes, taking note of Sting’s guild mark. Just as she had done with Sting when he first came to them, Lucy reached out for Rogue, an open invitation that Rogue took.

“You’re safe now,” Lucy promised. “No one will hurt you anymore.”

“You can’t promise that,” Rogue sobbed out. “No one can promise that.”

“Maybe not,” Lucy agreed, running gentle circles into Rogue’s back. “But I can promise we’ll fight for you. If anyone ever hurts you, we’ll always come for you. Okay?”

Rogue looked to Sting, and the latter grinned brightly. A promise between them.

\--------------------------

Lucy, of course, got swept up by the Mages of Blue Pegasus, much to her annoyance, but it left Natsu to talk to Rogue. Frosch had fallen asleep in Rogue’s lap with Lector and Happy hovering close. Clearly worried.

“Skiadrum,” Rogue sniffed. “His name was Skiadrum. He was…he was really sick and he asked me too…too…”

Natsu pulled Rogue into his lap, Exceed and all. And dang it, these kids were as small as Wendy. This was doing nothing for his memories in the slightest.

“It’s alright, I’ve got you now,” Natsu promised the boy in his arm, letting it reach to the two children by his side. “We’ll take care of you. I promise.”

He locked eyes with Lucy as she finally managed to pull away from Blue Pegasus, a smile on her face as she saw him. Natsu couldn’t help but smile back. These kids. Right here. They were the beginning of a new era of Fairy Tail.

And Natsu couldn’t wait to see how they would grow up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Book 2 will be out when I actually remember to post it...

**Author's Note:**

> I have done almost nothing except write this since I got this idea (not including work, but meh).


End file.
